Sotus (2016)

This was a really cute drama that breaks your heart in a few key places but leaves you with that warm and fuzzy feeling inside.

The story line is really interesting, and I especially liked the first part of the series, while they were going through the hazing. I thought the SOTUS system was interesting, and it was fun to watch Kongpob and Arthit's relationship develop. I think my only complaint with the story line is that Prem and Wad didn't get enough development at all, and I wish we could have seen more of them.

The acting was really good, from all of the characters. Singto and Krist specifically were great MCs. Both of their acting is so natural and effortless. There is a chemistry between them, though not necessarily raw desire. Rather, it's sweet and romantic, the kind the makes you smile and go, "Awww." That said, if you're looking for a lot of makeout scenes and sexual tension, you won't find it here. But if you're looking for something sweet, this one definitely hits the spot.

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I can't believe I only found this show in 2019. It's a pretty great but truly overrated. Storyline wasn't the best, but it was still very cute. I think it dragged on a little bit but what I loved most was the ending. It made the series 10x better. I also really liked how the Kongpob & Arthit's relationship was realistic in terms of how they treated each other and how their relationship developed.

However, I felt that Singto's acting here was awkward (It has obviously improved over the years), and some others just couldn't act. Acting and production value wasn't excellent, but neither was it too bad for me to not want to watch it. There was a lot of still room for improvement but it is obvious how this show paved the way and also influenced Thai BLs.

I've rewatched this show once and will most likely rewatch it again in the near future considering it's sadly the only BL my country made available on Netflix.

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A Great Feel-Good BL

To be completely honest in my review I actually liked how the story progressed. It does take time for the two couples to be together and P'Arthit to realize his feelings to Kongpob. The series does focuses more on the SOTUS' meaning, rather than a full bloom romantic series for the most part.

What's great and interesting about this is that you know they will end up together but actually seeing a not so forceful attempt to make both of them fall with each other was actually a great touch that further helped develop their relationship. The Ost was also pretty good and the opening was really catchy for me.

It is a great feel-good bl that doesn't rush or have a really heavy topic, which is actually great. What I especially liked about this is the relationship of the seniors to their juniors as the story progress. You will come to a realization that their actions (the seniors) for the most part is actually for the betterment of the juniors. Especially the beach scene, it kind of reminds me of the last few days of high school when you get to spend time with the strict teachers who are actually pretty chill.

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I recently started watching this thanks to a recommendation from Netflix. The first episode or two starts off typical of a BL series and I wasn't sure if I could get into it. But as the series progressed, I got more invested. The storyline grew to a point where I couldn't stop watching and wanted to know what would happen next. After the two main characters eventually get together, it made me really happy and satisfied. The main actors for the leads males really did a good job in their acting. From showcasing uncomfortable scenes, to portraying innocent love. While the character of Arthit was discovering who he was and deciding what route he wanted to take, the writers made sure to portray is accurately to reality in my opinion. I definitely recommend this to be watched and after I finished I feel like I could rewatch it easily with the same enjoyment as when I first saw it. I will say that the ending is not my favorite. Their was not enough character development to support Kongpob to take over as head Hazer. Nor do his groups of friends from his class portray good hazers either. Kong doesn't have a strong enough presence for head Hazer and his friends still seem immature in my eyes. If there was more character growth I could see it but it didn't do it for me to be a good ending. I'm glad we get to see Arthit grow and become a working man. The commitment the two show each other on the last episode, from Kong stating his commitment to being head Hazer but also acknowledging his commitment as a boyfriend really makes you feel things. The same can be said for when Arkhit tells Kong he misses him and even though work starts early for him the next morning you can sense the distance life has put between them but also the growth in their love for each other.

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Classical yet spectacular

Story
The story really is kind of a cliche yet they make it sooo unique at the same time. The how thing actually has lessons you can learn which I stan. The story is amazing and I love it.

Acting/Cast
Of course SIngto and Krist did an amazing job like always so of course that is a no brainer. However let us not forget the New and Gunsmile (give that man a lead role) moments tho. Amazing. Their acting, the crying to the love and the hate were all spectacular.

Music
The music was always a bop. The OST fine wine. Even their background music was amazing never too over the top. I could rock out to all the songs.

Overall
The only reason I gave rewatch a 9 is because it has been a while since I have rewatched it but don't worry I will. I love watching it. Please watch it 10/10. A luxurious show that makes you laugh cry and feel inspired.

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This drama is by far one of the best iv seen in a looooong time. Its like a roller coaster all together. So much emotion while watching. Its not often I both cry and laugh at the same time. But in this series everything gets to the point where I just wanted to be the main character and take the lead, haha. The acting is so good, it feels like watching some of it off screen - real life.
If gay themed drama is something you watch or are thinking about watching, this is one of the good ones! I recommend this, by faaaaar one of the best! I'm about to watch it again :P

ENJOY!

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Q: Is SOTUS worth watching despite the bullying?

So I was recently asked: Is SOTUS worth watching? I couldn't get past the first episode because the bullying was so disturbing.

A: I love it, but bullying isn’t a trigger for me.

It’s a really slow burn so you’ll have at least 6 episodes of the hazing before the tables turn, but then they really do turn. You’ll learn at least WHY Arthit is doing it, even if you maybe will never truly understand. But I would say that this is used to justify the bullying, so be aware of that.

You do get to see Arthit and his defenses crumble - in the context of being head hazer. He will also crumble for Kong... but that comes much later.

In Defense of SOTUS
The dynamic is really interesting because Kong is not only being hazed, he is younger than Arthit and thus supposed to be culturally submissive due to Thailand’s prescribed familial codified age dynamics. I happen to really love it when the seme character is younger because of this obstacle. As the one doing the courting, Kong has a lot to go up against, not just a gay relationship and the hazing, but also an age dynamic that restricts his agency.

So what justifies watching SOTUS despite the hazing?

1. The killer chemistry.

Krist and Singto don’t have much physical attraction (I like to think of KongArthit as an ace homoromantic pairing), but their emotional and chemical feedback is seriously glorious. But if you prefer high heat like TharnType or Why R U, this is not your series. Gen Y has many of the same dynamics in place but without the hazing and KimCop show better physical attraction. Try that instead.

2. Enemies to lovers.

If you really like this trope and you love it when the seme has to WORK to earn his uke, then this is the dominate drive behind SOTUS. There is even a kind of quest narrative, where Kong has to win all of the freshy games in order to win Arthit’s heart.

3. Fantastic coming out sequences.

Arthit publicly comes out to their friends/colleagues 2x in the 2 series, and each time is glorious. (Although family coming out doesn’t come into play.) Also Arthit has most of the sexual agency, he tends to incite what few kisses there are, which I like.

4. A consistent longer series.

The follow up series, SOTUS S is also really good, as is their Our Skyy installment. This makes SOTUS more consistent than many Thai BLs. SOTUS S has a “secret office romance” foundation. I really like that we get to follow them out of college and into the workplace.

5. Great friendship rep.

Both Kong and Arthit have wonderful surrounding friendships. SOTUS is also the first BL to at least have consistent, present, female friendships, and a lesbian character.

6. Heritage.

If you’re interested in the foundations of BL, SOTUS is important because it took Thai BL mainstream internationally in a way that its forerunners (like the truly special Love Sick) couldn’t. It’s also the pilot for GMMTV to get seriously involved, they have the production values and $$$ that previous (and current) Thai BL outside this parent umbrella doesn’t. SOTUS also established some BL specific tropes, like Engineering = gay, gear and gift exchange symbolism, and pink milk (although technically that’s originally sourced in 2 Moons).

7. Lack of OTHER damaging tropes.

Aside from the hazing and a certain amount of sex negativity that seems endemic to low heat BL SOTUS is pretty safe in other arenas, like statutory rape, non-consent situations, and queer femme vilification and mockery. It does highlight gay-for-you, but many don’t find this as objectionable as I do.

Frankly, there is a reason SOTUS is one of the pilot BL’s picked up by Netflix USA. It’s sanitized for a wider audience. I don’t object to popularization in my queer media (on the grounds of pro-normalization as part of the queer acceptance battle), but some queer folk have justifiable objections to this and to SOTUS.

In the end what I love about SOTUS is that what it does well, it does REALLY well and where it’s successful it’s REALLY successful. Thus it’s a stand out in several categories and only concerning in a few. Frankly, there’s not a lot of BL I can say that about.

Alternatives?
However, if bullying is a serious trigger for you but the OP trigger of suicide is NOT then you should 100% watch Until We Meet Again instead. It’s got killer chemistry in all couples, and is unquestionably one of the best written, paced, and plotted Thai BLs.

And if all you want is some intensely fluffy uplifting nonsense where all the offenses are bog standard to Thai BL and all the tropes are equally bog standard, then you want 2gether. It’s what I would call archetype BL, and ridiculously adorable on the strength of the charisma of the two leads.

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For a person who didn't want to watch any series for two years(since the release of Sotus), I started watching the series (completed it overnight) for a single conversation b/w the main leads and I am hooked to it. In my opinion, the idea of Love beyond Lust is beautifully depicted in SOTUS The Series which is also another reason why I am completely addicted to it (rewatched it at least 20 times by now). I literally fell in love with every single aspect in the series including the story, cast and crew, the acting, music, in short everything but most of all, the love between the main leads and the friendship they share with their friends. I definitely have to mention Krist and Singto for doing an amazing job, along with the other cast and crew members who put their effort in making this a wonderful series. Hats off to them all. For a lady who doesn't even know a single word in Thai I surely enjoyed it with the help of subtitles(Which wasn't bad at all) and the show did manage to pull me into the field of Thai dramas since then!

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Sets the Tone

In a very real sense, I think this set the tone for many of the following BL series. It is an intensely character driven with superb acting and a great story line. What I enjoyed about this series is as the characters grow, so does the intensity of the relationship. You see it develop through a sense of caring. It is not overwhelmed with gay overtones but still manages to make it its central point. You can honestly feel for these characters as they ebb and flow from anger to frustration to affection to intense love. It helps also explains many of the rituals of college life and how they really do impact the growth and development of character. It deals rather effectively with bullying and those who are experience the bullying. It is good solid storytelling and is a window into the world of freshman and upper-class students. This one is in the must column for watching.

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I have not noticed bl tv series quite a while after I become a yaoi girl. I used to know there are some taiwan, japan, china, korea, euro bl tv series and film. I have watched a few, but no one as good as this.
The acting is so well that you can feel how attached kong is to arthit, the main characters in the story. The story developed slowly but make it more real and romantic. That your emotion follows them to rise and sink.
The side couple also don't make you annoyed.
You would love to rewatch the series once and once. You will feel the soft and warmth of love and not focus on sex attraction. It is a must watch and should get much more honor on bl history.

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I will be reviewing this story without comparing it to the novel.

Story:
I think the story is definitely a majority of what gives sotus its charm. although it isnt a very complex story, it is a very realistic and emotional story revolving around the struggles of same
sex relationships and discovering yourself. I think that it is really well told with enough high points and low points to draw you in and feel the emotions of the characters. It is very innocent. Although the mechanic trope is very overused, this bl was the first of its kind. When watching sotus, I keep in mind that it was made in 2016 and paved the way for a lot of bl’s. For its time, this drama was unlike any other, leading to the BL’s that we get to see today! I also like the fact that there is no unnecessary making out or intimate scenes. As far as bl’s go, (with exceptions of course, there are a lot of great bls out there) i feel as though the story is just used for a bit of flavour, and all that the drama really revolves around is kissing and making out for viewers pleasure. Sotus, however, is pretty soft and innocent and I love it! I have always loved slow burn. If you love to see a relationship slowli unfold, with the satisfaction of sweetness at the end, this drama is definitely for you. It approaches the storyline very well and very sensibly.

Acting/Cast:
This is something that I know there are a lot of opinions on. I personally think that Krist and Singto did an amazing job. This was early in both of their careers. For me, good acting is when you can feel what the character is feeling, and you can differentiate the character from the person playing it. I think that they both did a very good job. I will ahree that some of the scenes are kind of cringe, but they are sampled from the novel and relevant to the story haha. Also, I find a drama a lot more loveable when there are loveable side characters. I love the energy of Artith’s friends. Especiallu Bright, of course, a fan favourite. Smaller details like that make a drama more enjoyable for me. There are a few characters that I feel lacked energy, but this didn’t effect any important dramatic performance so I can look past it. You know that a cast is loveable when you can’t help but get uspet after watching the last espisode. For me, my heart was set on Artith and Kongpop. Of course they are the main characters, and the cast is iconic, but not iconic to the point where i watch compliations on youtube and stuff because i miss them. Overall, Kongpop and Artith are the perfect match! And the actors are good friends in real life, which always helps to make their performance more authentic.

Music:
Soooo many bops the music definitely leaves its mark and makes sotus iconic. There are too particular songs for me. The opening track (of course) and the song that plays during the bed scene (not what you think, you will see haha) and some other scenes. It is always nice to have a song associated with characters to make you more emotionally attatched to them. The opening track also gives u nostalgia after u don’t hear it for a while.

Rewatch value：
Considering I first watched this drama 2 years ago and i am still writing a review for it now, that speaks for itself. The only reason I watch is for the authenticity and slow burn of Kong and Arthits relationship. Atfter a while, you sometimes miss it.

Overall:
It is definitely worth the watch! Don’t expect anything sexual, go into the drama knowing that you will experience a sweet story. Its iconic.
Especially if you have only recently joined the world of BL, this drama paved the way.

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